Pathophysiology of atherosclerosis

Pathophysiology of atherosclerosis is irreversible; only prevention makes sense.

So, you've
been told you have a damaged aorta or, perhaps worse still, hardening of the cerebral arteries. Actually, in this latter case, it's likely
your family that would be told; by the time it's been diagnosed there's
a good chance you've already lost your marbles and won't have a clue
about the diseases of blood vessels.

Atherosclerosis, also known as arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a disease of civilisation. It's common in all Western
societies and rare in societies that have not come in contact with urbanisation.

It's much worse in diabetics; type 2 is strongly associated with our Western lifestyle. Obesity is the number one cause, and interestingly those who consumed artificially sweetened beverages were even more at risk than those who enjoyed their sugar colas.

Those who had artificially sweetened colas every day had an increased risk of 2.21, but those drank sugared beverages had a less probability of 1.34 of getting type 2 diabetes, report researchers who followed 66,118 French women over fourteen years. It's published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2013. (1)

The side effects of artificial sweeteners are even worse than drinks with sugar when it comes to glucose intolerance, metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

Yo-yo diets also significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular events, report researchers in the New England Journal of Medicine. (2)

It
all begins with a small injury to a blood vessel wall. That could be a
viral or bacterial infection, exposure to certain chemicals and smoking
is considered the greatest risk factor. Something toxic
causes a small lesion in the inner lining, known as the intima.

In people with high LDL, the bad cholesterol, fat droplets start being deposited at the site of injury.

AGE, or 'advanced glycation end' products like a red blood cell with an 'extra sticky' attached glucose molecule attaches at the injured site.

Atherosclerosis definition

Pathophysiology of atherosclerosis

Pathophysiology of atherosclerosis causes hardening of the arteries.

The next steps in the atherosclerosis disease process are

Droplets of fat in the intima of the blood vessel wall are recognised
by the immune system as a foreign body provoking an attack from T cells seeking to protect the artery from the
invading substance which is fat droplets. This is even more dangerous
once this cholesterol has become oxidised.

The T cells especially do not recognise
the oxidised droplets of cholesterol in the wall of the artery as being
normal, attacking the enemy and setting up a powerful inflammatory
process deep within arteries, often at numerous sites throughout the
arterial system. Of this slow progression of serious disease deep
within our blood vessels we are totally unaware. We may feel perhaps
some malaise, or tiredness, but we cannot connect with this as the
beginnings of hardening of the arteries; this is the
the formation of atherosclerotic plaque. Most significant, the lumen
of the artery is becoming narrowed, and the heart has to pump harder to
get sufficient blood through the narrowed vessel.

Smooth muscles cells in the intima begin to proliferate further narrowing the lumen of the artery.

"Sticky" blood cells now begin to attach themselves to the site of the injury adding to the plaque. AGE products are formed when a diet high in refined starch like white rice or pasta release a flood of glucose molecules in the small intestine.

A piece of this plaque breaks free, called an embolus or clot,
traveling along the artery until it reaches a small artery in the
lungs, brain, heart... lung infarct, stroke, heart attack...

All in all, the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis is extremely complex and still being unravelled by scientists.

"If the only tool you have is a hammer,

you tend to see every problem as a nail."

- Abraham Maslow

Prevention of Atherosclerosis

It's
long been known that oats is the most powerful foodstuff in the fight
to lower elevated bad cholesterol, a big factor in the causes and prevention of
atherosclerosis.
Quaker Oats recipes ...

A researcher at Tufts University, Mohsen Meydani, working in the
pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and nutrition has now proved that
oats does much more than simply lower blood cholesterol. Oats contains an
antioxidant that prevents sticky blood cells from adhering to the walls
of damaged arteries, even reducing hypertension, for example.

Work is continuing on how oats not
only reduces the inflammatory changes that build up in arterial cells
walls damaged by atherosclerosis disease, but also helps by reducing the
proliferation of damaged smooth muscle cells than line the inner walls
of all arteries.

So, don't be totally despondent if you've been
told you have atherosclerosis of the aorta for example, the very large
artery that supplies the bowel and legs. Whilst attempts to reverse
atherosclerosis are probably in vain you can do much to prevent the
further proliferation of atherosclerosis symptoms and disease at this
site of inflammation and at new sites.

How much a loved one with
cerebral atherosclerosis can be helped is less certain. But what's the
harm in trying 2-3 tablespoons of oats every morning for breakfast?
Almost certainly cheaper than all the frosties, crispies and toasties on
the market.

More, research is now suggesting that that raised bad cholesterol is not caused by animal fat; high glycemic carbs are the demon. Butter is back, and white rice and white bread are definitely out, as all the sugary bagels and refined flour goodies; chocolate cake and the like. Whoops, baddies, not goodies.

Just as important is researchers are now finding
that the antioxidant in oats also prevents any cancer cells that line
the inner wall of your bowel from proliferating too.

(Agricultural Research Feb 2010)

Even better is to cook enough oats for several days, cool it in the fridge overnight, and then use it to make your delicious oats breakfast; a process called retrodegradation makes it difficult for enzymes to digest the starch in the small intestine, and it passes straight through becoming a 'prebiotic' for the bugs in the colon that form healthy short chain fatty acids instead of glucose, with no insulin rush.

There's lots of research coming out now about the microbiota in the large intestine; feed them with this resistant starch that is not digested in small intestine and you'll be far less likely to become diabetic or suffer from an autoimmune disease like lupus.

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in certainly oily foods, but especially fatty fish, freshly ground flaxseeds, walnuts and to a lesser extent other nuts like pecans, are a vital part in the fight against cardiovascular disease.

They are "essential" fatty acids, meaning your body can't make them from other fats. If you don't omega-3 foods regularly, you will develop atherosclerosis of the arterties.

Dairy products remain controversial, not least because the milk from a free range, pasture dairy cow is quite different than that from the poor beast that's never seen a blade of green grass. Nevertheless, butter is back with a vengeance, and should probably never have been banned.

Atherosclerosis symptoms

It
all depends on which artery is blocked. If it's one of the lumbar
arteries, then you are likely to have repeated episodes of lower back
pain, because the injured tissues in your back will simply not be
getting enough blood; atherosclerosis symptoms are complex and varied.

If it's the one of the coronary arteries,
then chest pain with exercise will be the order of the day, as the
heart muscle doesn't get enough blood; angina.

If it's one of the
iliac arteries that pass through the groin on the way to the leg, then
you will get pain in the leg WITH EXERCISE. As soon as you rest, the
pain goes away.

If you love to read, enjoy this freebie from my
third book, Stones in my Clog, fascinating anecdotes from Bernie
Preston's chiropractic coalface. Is it possible that a chiropractor
could diagnose a blocked artery that medicine had missed for two years?
Nope, it wasn't sciatica after all as they told him. Two simple basic
tests made the diagnosis, confirmed by an angiogram, but the old rule
repeats itself again and again: IF YOU DON'T LOOK FOR IT, YOU WON'T FIND
IT.

This is the arteriogram taken after Bernie referred his patient to a
vascular surgeon. Truth be told: I wasn't surprised, but all his doctors
were. Walking gave him pain in the calf and he didn't have a pulse in
the ankle.

One of the best things for early cerebral
atherosclerosis is brain exercise. If you enjoyed this short story, the
whole book costs only $2.99, downloaded as a pdf file directly on to you
computer. Feed your brain, have lots of laughs and not a few sober
moments, and support this website. Just $2.99 ...
Our Store ... look for Stones in my Clog.

Atherosclerosis of the aorta

The
pathophysiology of atherosclerosis also weakens the walls of arteries
allowing for a bulging of the artery known as an "aneurism". Aneurisms
are silent and deadly; it all begins with inflammation and atherosclerosis of the aorta, for example.

As the blood pressure rises, caused by
the general narrowing of the arteries forcing the heart to pump harder,
the bulge in the aneurism silently increases in size. Then one day,
poof... a bout of coughing, bearing down too hard on the toilet, a fit
of rage, rushing across a busy street increases the pressure
sufficiently to burst the artery. In the case of the aorta, the usual
result is very sudden death.

A narrowing of the artery by atherosclerosis of the aorta simply
reduces blood flow to the various organs, notably the kidneys, the
intestines, the spine and legs.

Intermittent Claudication

Intermittent claudication causes pain in muscles whilst exercising, but quickly relieved by rest; it's a sure sign of an advanced stage of the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis.

This
reduced blood flow to the legs produces a strange syndrome
characterised by no symptoms whilst the sufferer is at rest, but pain in
a muscle(s) starved of oxygen as soon as it is forced to exercise.
Resting immediately alleviates the pain as the need for oxygen in the
muscle is reduced.

Walking produces severe pain in the calf, cycling in the thigh muscle.

The
sign your chiropractor will look for to distinguish between
claudication and sciatica is the presence of the pulse in the ankle and
on the foot.

Low Back Pain

Postmortem studies have found a strong correlation between
artheriosclerosis of the aorta and degenerative disc disease; that means chronic low back pain. The
tissues of the spine simply don't get enough oxygen to heal after injury
resulting in the development of the difficult lower back.

Homocysteine

Homocysteine is the normal breakdown product of protein metabolism. But it's highly toxic to blood vessels and is immediately converted into two other substances in the body. But this process is utterly dependent on certainly B vitamins and zinc; without them there is certain onset of inflammation in the body including the arteries; pathophysiology of atherosclerosis.

Folk who do not consume enough of these vital substances will have raised homocysteine in the blood. It's even more toxic than raised LDL cholesterol; perhaps surprisingly free range eggs for their choline and omega-3 are part of the solution.

One of the those substances is betaine, found naturally in beets, after which it is named, spinach and 100% whole wheat; high dietary intake decreases the inflammatory markers by more than 20%. It's one of the reasons why men enjoying whole grains for breakfast (but not if they are refined) have a 29% lower risk of heart failure.

That could be a whole grain muesli, cooked rolled oats, or just a slice of 100% wholewheat toast; many folk have stomach pain with a raw breakfast cereal. Best to my mind is eggs Florentine on a slice of 100% wholewheat toast; it contains plentiful betaine, choline, magnesium and all the B vitamins.

Trans fats

Fat in nature is entirely of the 'cis' type; to make it solid, food companies hydrogenate it to the 'trans' form; margarine is easier to spread on your bread that sunflower oil.

But there's a simply huge problem; trans fats, by the same mechanism as high cholesterol, inhibit the responsiveness of a growth factor in the inner lining of arteries that prevents atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

If you are taking high blood pressure pills, it's very likely because you were a smoker, or had a diet high in cholesterol or trans fats.

Food companies are compelled (in theory) to list trans fats, but by using damn lies statistics they manipulate the figures to conceal. 20% of the fat in Marmite for example is trans fat, but they list it as zero per helping.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a vital mineral easily lost in the water used to cook vegetables; it's very important to prevent the development of the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis in blood vessels.

There's quite strong research coming out now that adequate magnesium
in the diet is vital for preventing the inflammation that affects the
wall of the arteries, and especially those of the heart.

How much is adequate?
About 400mg per day and not many people on a typical Western diet are
getting enough. Unfortunately, taking it in pill form is not as
affective as getting it from your food. Dark green leafy veg, beans, nuts; look no further than Swiss chard food.

The beauty of a diet rich in these coloured foods is that not only will you be enjoying the protection of minerals like magnesium, but also phytochemicals like the kaempferol and cancer protection.

Research
in Japan shows that getting enough magnesium will reduce your chances
of having a heart attack or stroke by a massive 50%. See how you can
EASILY increase the magnesium in your diet:
Magnesium heart ...

Going to seed

For plants, going to seed is a normal part of the cycle of life and death.

But figuratively speaking, it's the avoidable part of slipping relentlessly towards an early, premature demise. And no where is it seen more clearly than in the aging of our blood vessels. When they are unable to get fresh, nutrient rich blood to our body parts, it's the beginning of the end.

Not much is written about the venous return of blood, but it's important too. There's new research coming out that even diseases like MS may be caused by a poor vascular system removing wastes from the brain

Whether it's the brain, the heart, the musculo skeletal system, the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis is a subject that should absorbe us if we plan to live to a healthy and hearty eighty, with all our marbles intact.

Foods that reduce inflammation

Foods that reduce inflammation is primarily about blood vessels and atherosclerosis, but also concerns the pain in muscles and joints. For example, the capsaicin health benefits in the chili family give protection to the body; we particularly like growing peppadews which can be hot but are milder than jalapenos and much less fiery than most of the pepper family.

If you read just one book a month, you'll probably fall short of a thousand in your whole life, and most likely nearer 500. Enjoying a good book is like having a private conversation with the author.

If you are enjoying Bernard-Preston.com, then perhaps I can invite you to a journey through the polders of Holland. That's how you can support this site, and enrich your own life with some easy bedside reading and stepping up to better health.

Did
you find this page interesting? How about forwarding it to a friend, or book and food junkie.
Or, better still, Face Book or Twitter it.

Ignore: EU law insists even though we do not use cookies that we place the following on our site. “Advertisers use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. They also share information from your device with their social media, advertising and analytics partners.”

Consulting a chiropractor is little different to any other doctor; one can anticipate that he or she will take a history, examine you, perhaps order Xrays, make a diagnosis and possibly immediately st…